MonteRosola, Emerging Tuscan Star

MonteRosola, Emerging Tuscan Star

MonteRosola is a contemporary winery in the hills close to the hilltop town of Volterra in Tuscany. Volterra may be less familiar to some, so let’s start there to understand how MonteRosola and its wines fit into this delightful Tuscan landscape.

Volterra claims the title, “the oldest town in Tuscany.” Indeed, various peoples had continuously occupied it since the Bronze Age. Consequently, there are plenty of remains and artefacts from throughout its history. Accordingly, highlights include ancient Etruscan and medieval walls, a Roman theatre and, occupying the highest point, an imposing fortress built by the Medici family. The Florentines conquered and ruled it, whose bitter rivals were neighbouring Pisa and Siena. One reason is that Volterra has a valuable natural resource in alabaster, which carves into everything from Etruscan funeral urns to medieval sculpture and modern objets d’art.

All this makes Volterra a great place to explore and an ideal base to sample all that Tuscany can offer, whether the countryside or the cities, wine, food, history, and the arts. I’ve been fortunate to spend several vacations nearby. They include happy hours in a Volterran wine shop called Enoteca Scali. That’s an excellent place to start any adventure.

Of course, it’s almost impossible to journey far in Tuscany without encountering vineyards. There have been vineyards in and around Volterra for around 3,000 years. However, this place lies between two of the most prestigious wine regions of Tuscany, which are almost equidistant and can be reached in under an hour. Eastwards lies historic Chianti Classico, while the more modern Bolgheri is on the west coast. The reputations of those regions cast a long shadow, often justifiably so.

The MonteRosola Estate

The name MonteRosola means a hill of poppies. It’s found on an open plateau, in an area of outstanding beauty, at 430 meters altitude, above two valleys filled with ancient woodland. That altitude and the wind keep things a little fresher in summer and encourage slower and more prolonged grape ripening. The soil is mainly clay near Volterra, though it also has a high mineral content deriving from alabaster. This soil forms a hard crust in the summer heat, reducing evaporation.

The original property, La Rosola, featured a stone farmhouse dating to 1480. It produced grapes, olives, and wheat. In 1999, it was bought and renovated, and winemaking began.

However, the Thomaeus family from Sweden purchased it in 2013 and added 120 hectares. Since then, they’ve made significant changes to put the MonteRosola winery and Volterra on the Italian wine map. There’s been a considerable investment in time, money, and emotion.

The vineyards

The 25 hectares of organic vineyards are hand farmed. There’s Guyot vine training and a summer green harvest to reduce yields too. Only the best grapes are selected at harvest, firstly in the vineyard and then again at the winery.

As far as grape varieties go, in white, there’s the Vermentino that typifies the Tuscan coast, alongside the more unusual plantings of Viognier, Manzoni Bianco and Grechetto. As you would expect in red, there’s Sangiovese, plus the usual French contingent; Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.

The winery

There’s a brand new gravity-fed winery. It’s state-of-the-art and primarily underground. The visible architecture suggests Volterra, a design theme that runs through the business. The winery is sustainable, with particular attention to temperature regulation through design and solar and geothermal energy with heat pumps for heating and cooling. The aim is to use 70% less energy than other wineries in the region.

Also, there is a rainwater harvesting system because, after all, this is a warm climate where rainfall is limited, and all wineries need copious amounts of water.

 

The wines

Winemaking is by oenologist Alberto Antonini, who has Tuscan experience at Antinori, Frescobaldi, and Dievole.  Hence, expect artisanal wines with minimal interventions that offer a sense of place.

Vinification is in tulip-shaped concrete tanks, each with a capacity of 9,600 litres, and fermentation uses natural yeasts. Maturation is either in concrete tanks or in French oak casks. Production is 70,000 bottles per annum, though the intention is to use the new winery capacity to double this over time.

Meantime, as the winery is also an architectural and artistic landmark, there is a visitors centre with event spaces suitable for wine tastings and tours. It can also accommodate weddings with up to 200 guests.

MonteRosola makes seven different wines. All come with labels that are neat, precise, and modern. Four of those (the two whites and two reds) feature below.

 

Because of Covid-19, wine distribution was only in Italy. However, this article was revised and updated in January 2022 to show UK retail prices, as Orlando’s Wines now stock them.

 

 

Cassero, IGP Toscana Bianco, 2018. 14%

100% Vermentino.

 

 

Primo Passo, IGP Toscana Bianco, 2018. 14%

Primo Passo means “the first step,” as this was the first white wine produced by the estate. It’s a blend of Grechetto, Manzoni Bianco, and Viognier, with maturation on the lees in concrete for 4-6 months. This ingenious blend is an unusual one. Grechetto is mainly grown in Umbria, while Manzoni Bianco (once called Incrocio Manzoni 6.0.13) is a modern crossing of Riesling and Chardonnay more common in the Veneto and Trentino. Viognier is well-known in Bolgheri.

It’s pale, but the colour will deepen with a little more ageing. Aromas are tropical, perhaps pineapply. On the palate, it’s bone dry with a melange of apricot, peach, and lemon flavours. A zesty minerality keeps it all in balance. Drinking well but will improve over the next year or two. It would be interesting to see how this ages in the longer term. Well-crafted and highly versatile with food.

Try Salmon or Chicken dishes. £23.50